


Trust

by WayWardWonderer



Category: Ghostbusters (Movies 1984-1989), The Real Ghostbusters
Genre: Attack, Attacked, Betrayal, Fire, Gen, Hurt, Peril, ghost - Freeform, haunted, injured
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-29
Updated: 2017-09-29
Packaged: 2019-01-06 23:36:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12221253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WayWardWonderer/pseuds/WayWardWonderer
Summary: During a bust a powerful ghost possesses Peter's mind and forces the psychologist to make decisions against his will. After Peter's actions results in life threatening injuries for one of his colleagues Egon, Ray and Winston must choose whether or not to trust Peter while confronting the dangerous ghost.





	Trust

It was a seemingly routine call for the intrepid Ghostbusters as the quartet arrived at the ever active Sedgwick Hotel at the behest of the manager. The usual array of noisy and messy guests were overshadowed by the mournful wails of pain and disheveled twelfth floor as a single vengeful spirit roamed throughout the corner penthouse in an ambient rage.

"Careful!" The manager whispered as he cowered in the corner of the elevator car. He watched through his shaking fingers that covered his eyes as the four Ghostbusters exited the elevator with their proton packs armed and PKE meters scanning the air. "Th-The ghost is v-very angry!"

"Yeah, yeah." Dr. Peter Venkman was far from rattled by the sound of the ghost tearing apart the room in the distance. "Not the first ghost with a pissy attitude and it won't be the last."

The doors of the elevator shut and the manager frantically began pressing the button to return to the first floor of the hotel.

"Don't let your guard down." Dr. Egon Spengler cautioned his laidback colleague. "We must be diligent and alert."

"Aren't we always?" Peter quipped dryly.

Egon wasn't amused. "It's imperative we handle this situation with complete seriousness. This ghost has shown violent tendencies and is apparently emitting a very high psychokinetic energy signature."

Dr. Raymond "Ray" Stantz had been studied the display on his PKE meter and took a few steps toward the very active room at the end of the long hallway. "Getting a strong reading. Possible Class-5 full body apparition."

"Not the first," Peter repeated with indifference. "won't be the last."

Winston Zeddemore had been brushing up on the history of the hotel since their last visit resulted in a less than endearing encounter with a powerful spirit known as "The Spider Witch". Armed with newfound knowledge on their environment he offered up his own take on the situation. "This floor has seen a lot of pain, gore and violence over the decades." He stated firmly as he followed right behind Ray. "Aside from the various Gozerian cult members using this place as a base of operations, there have been other psychotic guests who left their dark mark behind."

"Not the first psycho..." Peter echoed with waning interest as he followed behind Winston. "not the last."

Egon followed his three team members as he too began scanning the air with his own PKE meter. "What can you tell us about this ghost Winston?"

"If it's the ghost that I think it is," Winston continued on with his story as the sounds of the rampaging ghost grew louder and more violent. "we're dealing with the ghost of Johnathan 'The Mystic' Alvis. He was an infamous skilled hypnotist who used his talent to manipulate his clients into either giving him all of their money or into committing crimes on his behalf."

"Hypnotist?" Ray asked sincerely curious as he stopped just outside the door of the penthouse. "What else did he do? Why is he haunting the hotel?"

"From what I read," Winston explained with a level tone of voice. "Alvis had been exposed as a criminal mastermind by a maid who used to work in the hotel. The maid noticed the abundance of clients visiting him in the hotel and then seeing those same clients either arrested for committing violent crimes or living on the streets after losing their life savings. The police investigated by Alvis used his hypnotism to push the police away and frame innocent bystanders or his personal enemies."

"Sounds like a real chipper guy." Peter commented bitterly.

"In the end," Winston finished the story. "Alvis took his own life in the penthouse after his scam had been exposed and various police officials began investigating him on a regular basis. He hung himself in the bathroom and left behind a note swearing revenge on the hotel staff for giving him up to the police."

Ray held the meter up the door as the carnage inside the room carried on with loud crashes, smashing glass, menacing screams and the door itself shaking on its hinges. A loud 'bang' against the door caused Ray to step back warily while his colleagues stood their ground behind him.

"Sounds like Alvis is starting his revenge by messing with housekeeping." Peter joked as he unsheathed the thrower on his proton pack. "Should be knock or just let ourselves in?"

Ray reached for the door's handle and tried to turn the knob. "Locked."

"Stand back." Winston instructed as he prepared to land a well aimed kick on the locked door. "I got this."

The door burst open with a loud 'bang' with the tremendous force from Winston's kick. As the door swung open inward to the room a loud wail of anger roared out at the four Ghostbusters as a translucent humanoid figure with burning red eyes stared them down from the center of the room.

"Housekeeping!" Peter yelled out sarcastically as he raised and aimed his thrower at the ghost.

The ghost roared angrily a second time before rushing through the door frame at an incredible speed that caused all four men to fall to the ground in a heavy, collective 'thud'.

Peter raised his head and watched as the ghost raced down the corridor and faded through the wall at the end. "Should've said 'room service'."

Ray grabbed onto Egon's arm and pulled the physicist to his feet as he himself began running down the corridor in pursuit of the ghost. "C'mon! We can't let it get away!"

Peter slowly sat up on the floor and looked over at Winston. "Want to wait and see if it comes back?"

"I think it'd be better to try and head it off." Winston suggested as he took a knee and slowly stood up in the dimly lit section of the corridor. "Ray and Egon are trailing after it, we should head down the Eastern wing and cut it off."

"Cut what off?" Peter asked arrogantly. "It's a ghost! We already saw it faze through a wall, what's to stop it from doing it again?"

"Well I'm not going to sit and wait." Winston decided. "I'm going to try to help the others, if you want to sit here and wait then go ahead. Just keep your radio open if you see something."

"Great idea, I love it when I don't have to run around like a lunatic."

Winston patted Peter's shoulder once before jogging down the corridor and taking a sharp turn down the Eastern junction.

Peter pushed himself up from the ground, smoothed out the sleeves of his jumpsuit and sheathed the dropped thrower of his proton pack. He leaned back against the opened door frame with his arms folded across his chest and he shut his eyes.

Through the floor of the haunted penthouse the ghost of Alvis slowly emerged with a wicked grin on his face. Using his ethereal speed the ghost lurched toward Peter and put a cold hand on the psychologist's shoulder, which in turn caused Peter to freeze in place.

Alvis leaned in toward Peter's ear and whispered a few choice words before releasing his grip and fading back down through the floor.

Peter fell heavily onto the floor as he slipped down the door frame with a sudden pounding headache. His eyelids were shut so tightly in response to the painful headache that tears were being forced from the corners of his eyes. Instinctively he reached for his radio and called out the first name that popped into his head. "Winston..."

A short delay and crackle over the radio carried the response. ' _Peter? You okay_?'

"Not sure..." Peter stammered weakly as he pressed a hand to his forehead. "Don't feel right."

' _You still by the penthouse_?'

"Y-Yeah."

' _Alright, stay there! I'm on my way back_.'

Peter opened his eyes and stared in a blank stare at the floor as his naturally blue eyes dimmed and transitioned into dull brown hue. He felt numb and weak as if he were trapped in the midst of a vivid dream.

"Peter?" Winston had returned to the penthouse and was now kneeling beside his dazed friend. "You okay man? You don't look so good."

"I..." Peter was struggling to speak. His words were lost in the fog that had become his mind. "I think I saw it..."

"The ghost?"

Peter nodded once.

"Where?"

A loud 'bang' from the penthouse tore Winston's attention from Peter and to the center of the room. A large chair had been thrown from one side of the room and into the center by an unseen force.

"Wait here." Winston cautioned as he took a step inside the room and powered up his thrower.

Alvis emerged from the floor once again and used a powerful wave of psychokinetic energy through the weakened floorboards. Winston felt the wave sweep over the floor and heard the boards begin to buckle under his weight.

"Winston!" Peter had been watching his friend from the door frame and stared in horror as the floor gave out and Winston began to fall.

Reacting quickly Winston clung desperately to the broken, jagged boards and hung helplessly onto the edge of the broken floor.

Peter crawled over to the gaping hole in the floor and extended his hand for Winston to take.

"Get back!" Winston shouted as he fought desperately to keep his grip on the broken floor. "You'll fall too!"

"Not going anywhere." Peter insisted as he laid flat down on his stomach and stretched his hand out as far as he could. "Come on, take my hand!"

Winston reluctantly released one hand from the edge of the floor and took a firm, yet shaking grip on Peter's offered hand.

As Peter began to pull Winston up and away from the hole Alvis appeared behind the hanging marine and snapped his fingers. Right before Peter's eye he saw a swarm of massive cockroaches begin to swarm over the floor.

Frightened to death by cockroaches Peter froze in abject horror at the creeping insects that suddenly filled the room.

"Peter!" Winston shouted as he struggled to hang on for dear life. "Hey! Snap out of it!"

The cockroaches crawled everywhere that Peter could see. The bugs clicked, chirped and scurried at a sickening pace. One particularly large cockroach climbed up from Winston's back, over his shoulder and up his arm toward Peter's exposed hand.

Fear overtook his mind.

The flight or fight instinct kicked in and before he realized what he had done, Peter let go of Winston's hand.

Peter cowered away from the hole in the floor as he swatted profusely at the large cockroach that crawled quickly all over his hand and up his arm. Fearfully Peter began frantically swing his arm in an attempt to rid himself of the massive insect only to see dozens more crawling all over his feet and legs. The cockroaches were massive compared to normal insects and continued to chirp loudly as they swarmed over Peter.

"Get off!" Peter shouted as he began to panic at the alarming number of cockroaches crawling all over his body. "GET. OFF."

Egon and Ray had returned to the penthouse having heard the loud crashing of the floor breaking away and of Peter's frantic shouting. Egon observed the room with a keen curiosity, focusing first on Peter and then immediately to the hole in the middle of the room. Ray put his hands on Peter's shoulders and tried to hold him still while also pushing back against the wall.

Ray shook Peter's shoulders and shouted in an attempt to get his panicking colleague's attention. "Peter! Snap out of it! Look at me!"

Peter continued to struggle against Ray's grip in an attempt to swat away the cockroaches. The cockroaches that only he could see, that only he could hear, that only he could feel...

Egon knelt down on the edge of the hole and peered down, his brown eyes widening with fear as he spied Winston laying motionless one floor down amongst the debris of the broken floor.

"Winston!" Egon shouted worriedly as he stared intently at his unconscious friend. "Winston can you hear me?"

The bold marine didn't respond to his friend's voice as he laid prone on the floor below.

"Ray!" Egon turned quickly and looked at the engineer as he continued to try and gain Peter's attention. "Winston is hurt! I'm going to go down to check on him!"

Without waiting for a reply Egon dashed from the penthouse and toward the staircase at the end of the corridor. The ever cautious physicist chose the stairs over the elevator as it seemed very likely that the ghost would try to interfere with the rescue and stop the elevator between floors.

Ray tightened his grip on Peter's shoulders out of both fear for Winston and out of frustration as Peter was still caught in a confused daze. "Venkman!" Ray released one hand from Peter's shoulder just long enough to reach back and slap Peter across the face. "PETER."

Peter was stunned by the strike but unharmed. He stared at Ray with glassy eyes, his heart pounding hard and fast in the chest. "R-Ray?" His whole body was trembling as he looked down at his arms and legs for the cockroaches that he had watched swarm over his entire body. "Where are the-"

"Finally!" Ray let go of Peter and took a step back. "What the hell happened in here? What happened to Winston?"

"Winston?" Peter looked up from his body and past Ray. He quickly honed in on the massive hole in the floor and remembered seeing Winston fall. "Winston!"

Peter clumsily pushed past Ray and fell to his knees at the edge of the hole. Ray joined Peter at his side and looked down. "Oh god... Winston."

Egon had found his way into the unoccupied room that Winston had fallen into. The jagged boards of the broken floor littered the ground, sharp edges cutting into Winston's skin through his jumpsuit leaving him covered in his own blood. As Winston fell he crashed through a large wooden table and the resulting impact was enough to break his left leg below the knee; the limb was resting at unnatural angle amongst the wooden debris of large boards and tiny splinters that surrounded him.

"He's unconscious." Egon reported morosely. Pressing his fingers against Winston's neck Egon checked for a pulse and let out an immense sigh of relief upon finding one at all. "He is alive." Egon called up his colleagues who were looking down in absolute worry. "Ray, call an ambulance. Winston has a broken leg and a probable concussion."

"I'm on it." Ray rushed out of the room and found the nearest guest phone sitting on a desk in the middle of the corridor.

Egon gave Winston a visual assessment over his current condition. "Broken leg," Egon repeated as he carefully straightened the damaged limb and resisted the urge to set the broken bones himself. "probable concussion," he reaffirmed as he lifted Winston's eyelids and check his pupils. "there's a large cut and some swelling on the back of his head. Most likely from the fall itself."

Ray returned to Peter's side and called down to Egon. "I called the ambulance, the hotel manager will point them in the right direction."

"Good, I'll stay with Winston. Try to find the ghost before it harms anyone else!"

"Okay, yeah." Ray didn't like the idea of not staying with Winston but knew that the capture of the violent ghost was important. Not to mention the fact that hunting down the ghost would provide him with a much needed distraction. "Keep your radio open, if the ghost comes back your way don't hesitate to yell!"

Ray patted Peter's shoulder to signal the confused man to follow him as he resumed patrolling the corridors.

Following on shaking legs Peter was uncharacteristically quiet. Too confused, too frightened by the images of the cockroaches haunting his memories Peter was at a rare loss for words. His eyes darted suspiciously at every movement certain he'd be swarmed by cockroaches once again.

A loud angry roar from the end of the corridor caught the attention of the two Ghostbusters. Ray lead the search for the ghost Alvis while Peter hesitantly followed.

"I think he's hiding out in the Ruby Ballroom."

"G-Good." Peter stammered with a quaking voice. "That'll m-make it easier to c-catch."

The ghost made another loud 'bang' as it tore apart the interior of the ballroom. Ray slowly opened the door and spotted the humanoid ghost floating in mid air below the chandelier. It appeared to be waiting patiently, as if it knew the Ghostbusters were going to find it.

"I'll slide in the trap," Ray whispered and he crouched down near the floor. "when I do turn on your thrower and chase it over so I can catch it."

Peter's hands were shaking so violently that during his attempt to unsheathe his thrower he fumbled on his grip and dropped the heavy metallic weapon onto the hardwood floor of the ballroom.

Alvis turned toward the two Ghostbusters with a sick grin on his ethereal face. He snapped his fingers again and disappeared through the ceiling without a trace.

"What... What was that about?!" Ray turned and glared angrily at Peter only to find his friend lost in a deep trance. "Peter? Peter!"

Egon's voice suddenly cut in over the radio. ' _Ray can you hear me_?'

"Yeah, I hear you." Ray replied as he waved his hand in front of Peter's vacant stare in an attempt to regain his attention. "How's Winston?"

' _The paramedics just arrived. They're loading him onto a gurney now. Did you catch the ghost_?'

"Negative." Ray sounded as disappointed as ever. "We lost sight of it after tracking it to the Ruby Ballroom."

' _We'll come back for it later. We need to make sure Winston's okay_.'

"Yeah, go ahead without us."

' _What_? _Why_?'

"It's difficult to explain, just go! We'll catch up in Ecto-1."

' _Very well. Keep in contact_.'

"Will do." Ray shook Peter's shoulders again and called his name. "Peter? Can you hear me? What's the matter with you?!"

Peter remained in his trance unable to respond. It was as if his entire consciousness had been taken away leaving only a physical husk of his usually quirky self behind.

"Sorry about this, but it worked before!" Ray reached back his hand and slapped Peter across the face.

This time however Peter didn't awaken from the trance.

"Oh boy..." Ray lifted Peter's droopy eyelids and saw his glazed over, dull irises staring back at him. "This is bad."

While Ray stayed with Peter in the Ruby Ballroom on the twelfth floor of the hotel Egon walked beside the gurney as the paramedics wheeled Winston through the lobby and into the back of the ambulance parked in front of the Sedgwick. Winston had remained unconscious since the fall and showed no signs of waking. Wearing a neck brace to to stabilize his head and cervical spine, a large splint around his broken left leg and blood stains all over his torn jumpsuit Winston looked as though he had been in a horrible vehicle accident rather than a unfortunate fall.

As Winston was loaded into the back of the ambulance Egon looked back up at the top floor windows of the hotel. He couldn't see Ray or Peter but he knew they were there and he couldn't help but harbor a reserved anger toward Peter in that very moment.

"Sir," the older of the paramedic duo; a man in his early 40's, tall, black and very kind addressed Egon with a firm but level tone in his voice. "if you want to accompany your friend to the hospital you can ride in the front with my partner."

"Oh, yes." Egon turned and looked back at the paramedic. "Thank you. Our colleagues will follow later on."

Giving the hotel one last thoughtful glance Egon took his seat in the front of the ambulance became lost in thought for the well being on his injured friend.

* * *

Ray used the flashlight clipped to the shoulder strap of his proton pack and shined the beam into Peter's eyes. There was very little response to the bright light as Peter's dulled irises seemed to glaze over his pinpoint, constricted pupils.

"Peter? Hello! Stantz to Venkman!" Ray continued to try and gain Peter's attention but failed to elicit any response. "Wake up!"

The hotel manager, as well as two responding police officers, approached Ray and Peter cautiously. The manager was visibly shaking from the entire unusual ordeal while the cops seemed unfazed by the situation. "Excuse me!" The manager shouted. "Did you even catch the ghost? Or were you too busy destroying my hotel to be bothered to do your job properly?!"

"I can assure you," Ray turned his focus away from Peter to the timid manager with a single glance. "we'll catch the ghost. We'll even take into consideration the damage to the building before we send you the bill."

"Take into... You'll WHAT?!" The managed had gone from fearful to furious in a matter of seconds. "I want you to pay in full for ALL of the damages!"

"We'll pay what we have to pay," Ray grabbed Peter's arm and began dragging the dazed man toward the elevators. "after we check in on our friend and AFTER we catch the ghost. Now if you'll excuse us we need to stop by the hospital. Our friend is our current priority."

The two cops let Ray pass without even so much as a second thought leaving the upset manager in stunned silence.

Ray pressed the 'call' button for the elevator and held tightly onto Peter's arm. "What is wrong with you Venkman? You didn't hit your head too, did ya'?"

The elevator doors opened and Ray all but pushed Peter inside the empty elevator car. Peter stumbled into the small space and stood in the corner facing the walls without even flinching or blinking.

Ray pressed the button for the lobby and resumed trying to bring Peter out of his trance. "What is going through your head right now, Venkman?" He pulled on Peter's shoulder and turned him around so he could take another look at Peter's dull glassy eyes. "It's like you've been drugged or something. Can you hear me at all?"

Deep in the darkest, most secretive expanse of his mind Peter was lost to the waking world and aware only of the whispering commands of Alvis's voice. The hypnotic words of the clever ghost kept Peter as nothing more than a shell of his usual self. It was in his mind's eye that Peter continued to see cockroaches swarming all over his body; the very touch of the tiny but thousands of legs darting over his limbs was enough to cause Peter to freeze in uncontrollable panic.

Alvis gleefully toyed with Peter and held his fear-stricken mind prisoner. " **Your worst fears, your deepest doubts will rise to the surface**." Alvis hissed menacingly. " **Your friends will abandon you as you fall prey to your own failures**." The cockroaches grew in both number and size as Peter watched helplessly, unable to move or speak as his mind was bombarded with horrific imagery and sensations. " **In the end you will be alone**."

A sudden jerking movement that sent Peter flying forward was enough to finally pull his mind out of the deep trance set up by Alvis.

"What the?!" Peter looked around confused and felt something tight over his chest. "What happened? Where am I?"

"Peter!" Ray all but yelled as he put Ecto-1 into park. "You need to tell me what's going on!"

"I... Uh..." Peter realized that he was riding in the front passenger seat of the car. Ray had managed to drag him from the hotel, sit him in the car and drive him all the way to the hospital without once being able to break the trance set up by Alvis. "What- Ray, what did I miss?"

"Later." Ray sounded abnormally bitter for being such an upbeat kind of guy. "We're at the hospital. Let's go see how Winston is doing."

"Winston!" Peter's face paled quickly as he suddenly remembered that Winston had been injured. "How bad?!"

Ray turned off the engine of the car and gave Peter a chillingly stern look. "Bad enough. Let's go inside, Egon is already with him."

With a heavy heart Peter accompanied Ray as they entered the hospital with the intent on finding Winston who had been admitted only a few precious minutes before their arrival. The waiting room wasn't crowded but it was still noisy as many other New Yorkers were too awaiting the news on a loved one or friend on that same fateful night.

Egon had resided to standing alone with his back pressed against the far wall. His eyes were closed and his brow furrowed as he let himself become lost in thought. With his arms crossed over his chest he looked defensive, if not protective of his friend as he waited patiently for an answer.

"Egon." Ray approached the stoic man with pure sympathy glistening in his mismatched eyes. "Any news on Winston? What's happening?"

Egon opened his eyes briefly to look at Ray but closed them again without even giving Peter a fleeting glance. "He's up in surgery."

"Surgery?!" Ray nearly blurted in absolute shock. "But... I don't understand! Egon what happened?"

Egon's dark eyes flashed back open as he locked his gaze with Ray, completely ignoring Peter in the process. "When Winston fell he struck the back of his skull against a very large, very sturdy object. Surgery is required to reduce the intracranial pressure before any damage has the chance to set in or become permanent."

Peter stammered nervously. "Did... Did anything happen en route to the hospital?"

Letting out a deep sigh Egon replied very coldly to the question. "Winston suffered a seizure. The paramedics were able to stabilize him but time is still critical."

"Oh my-" Ray's face paled as the dull reality of the bleak situation set it. "What can we do?"

"Wait." Was Egon's simple reply. "I've been reluctant to call Winston's father. I'd prefer to talk to him after we have more answers than questions."

Peter swallowed his guilt nervously. "I'll call." He stared distantly at the floor as he turned to find a phone down the neighboring corridor. "I should be the one to call."

Ray turned to watch Peter slowly walk away with his head hung low and his pace stilted by hesitation. "Winston will pull through, he's strong." Ray told himself as a means of reassurance. "You'll see." He turned back to Egon. "I think Peter should be examined as well."

"Examined how?" Egon's tone was still cold but there was a hint of curiosity present in his voice.

"I think the ghost has affected him a psychological level. He kept drifting in and out of coherence."

"Venkman will be seen to in time." Egon decided firmly. "Right now Winston is the priority."

With his mind preoccupied on Winston's condition Ray didn't try to argue with Egon or press the matter any further. Resigning to waiting for any information on their critically injured friend Ray took a seat beside Egon while the latter kept his place against the wall. Neither man spoke a word.

Peter had managed to find a public phone and contact their receptionist Janine Menitz back at the firehouse. After explaining everything that happened she hurriedly gave Peter the phone number for Winston's father and asked for him to give Winston her best. The phone call was difficult but necessary. Hearing the voice of Edward Zeddemore on the line sent a chill up Peter's spine as Winston sounded so much like his father.

Enduring the heart wrenching phone call Peter resided himself to a quiet, isolated corridor of the hospital to be alone with his mangled thoughts.

"I did this." Peter pressed a hand to his face and he used his other hand to brace himself against the cool white wall. "I let Winston fall, it's my fault he's hurt. If he doesn't make it..."

A cold hand gripped onto Peter's shoulder as a voice whispered in his ear. " **You will be alone... Just as I warned you**."

Peter's eyes dulled as the voice of Alvis once again spoke to him.

" **Hear my words, do my bidding and you will not lose your friend**."

"I..." Peter's dulled eyes widened as adrenaline suddenly coursed through his veins. "How? How will Winston survive if I listen to you? What do I have to do?"

" **It is simple**." Alvis hissed wickedly in Peter's ear with a sinister glee. " **Listen to my words. Carefully. All will become clear**."

Four long, slow hours passed with no update on Winston. Ray would ask the nurses every twenty minutes or so but he received the same answer each time he asked. Unwilling to leave the hospital or to sleep Ray paced through the waiting room anxiously while Egon remained at the wall deep in thought.

"Wonder where Peter went?" Ray asked softly. When Egon didn't respond Ray folded his hands together nervously. "I hope he isn't hurt too, you know? Like maybe the ghost-"

"The ghost isn't here at the moment." Egon interjected tersely. "Winston is still our priority."

"But-"

There was a stirring of emotions when Edward finally arrived at the hospital to ask about Winston. Ray and Egon had the same chill as Peter upon hearing the familiar sounding voice speaking to the head nurse. Winston's father was very much like his son.

"Mr. Zeddemore?" Ray walked over to the desk and extended his hand to greet properly. "It's nice to see you again, although we do wish it were under better circumstances."

"Raymond? Right?" Edward eagerly shook Ray's hand. "I flew out from Philly on the earliest flight. Your friend Peter told me that Winston had suffered a blow to the head?"

"That's right." Ray's hand went cold in Edward's grip. "It's kind of a long story. Please, sit down and we'll tell you everything that we know."

While Ray and Egon informed Edward on Winston's condition and the events lead up to the horrible fall Peter wandered aimlessly back down the corridor and into the waiting room.

As Peter watched from afar Alvis's voice resonated in his ear. " **Remember our deal. If you fail me you will suffer**."

Quietly Peter sat down beside Ray and kept his silence as he pondered the situation in which he had agreed.

A doctor draped in pale blue scrubs discreetly approached the gathered group huddled together in the waiting room with a thick grimaced on his face. "Are you here for Mr. Zeddemore?"

Upon seeing the surgeon, the bright blue color of his scrubs marred by spots of dark red blood, was a very heavy moment. Egon kept himself from stepping toward the doctor as he decided it'd be best for Edward to take the lead and speak with the doctor directly about Winston. Ray stayed in his seat like a frightened child as the idea of losing Winston, who had quickly become one of his best friends, was becoming all to real. Peter himself stayed quiet and practically submissive in his self induced silence.

"I'm Edward Zeddemore," Edward introduced himself with a firm handshake. "Winston is my son. How is he?"

"I'm Dr. Robinson," the doctor reciprocated the handshake respectfully. "Winston tolerated the surgery well. He's currently in recovery in our critical care unit."

Edward's tense shoulders relaxed slightly. "Winston survived. Thank God."

Dr. Robinson continued to explain the situation in a level voice. "The damage was significant but we don't expect any permanent damage, but only time will tell."

"Can we see him?" Edward asked in a very pained yet controlled voice.

"Not just yet." Dr. Robinson sounded as disappointed as the group felt. "We're still weening him off the anesthesia and even then he'll be unconscious for quite some time. Mr. Zeddemore your son had slipped into a coma before surgery began."

"Coma?"

Egon tensed while Ray's posture slouched and Peter leaned away from the group in his chair.

"Yes." Dr. Robinson put his hand on Edward's shoulder. "The swelling in his brain caused enough pressure to result in a comatose state as well as a seizure, which of course was treated with proper medication. As the swelling decreases your son should regain consciousness. Be warned though, once he wakes up he'll be confused and in pain. Don't be frightened by it."

"When..." Edward began wringing his hands together nervously. "When can I see him?"

"Soon. Come with me, you can wait in the doctor's lounge for now. I'll get you some coffee, it's going to be a long night."

"Mr. Zeddemore," Ray finally found the courage to speak and rose from his seat. "do you need us to do anything for you? Anything at all!"

"Just... pray for Winston." Was all Edward could say as he and the doctor walked down the corridor together.

Ray sank back in his seat with a heavy heart. "Yeah. Pray."

Egon cleared his throat. "We should take shifts, keeping at least one person here at all times for both Winston and Edward. I volunteer to take the first shift, you should go back to the firehouse and try to get some rest."

"Y-Yeah, good idea." Ray agreed although haltingly. "We'll go back to the firehouse and let Janine know what's happening. Maybe even tell Peck and make sure he keeps his distance from the hospital."

"Agreed. The less we have to deal with him the better."

"Come on Peter." Ray pulled on Peter's arm only to have Peter respond by pulling his arm away from Ray's grip bitterly. Ray wasn't about to tell into an argument with the stubborn psychologist, so to keep the peace he stood up and stood in front of Peter. "We need to do what's best for Winston. Let's go."

Forcing himself to look up and at Ray with doubtful eyes Peter slowly rose from his seat and followed the engineer back out to the parking lot of the hospital.

Egon stayed behind without offering a single word to Peter. Finally choosing to sit down after the hours of standing Egon's tired body all but collapsed in the seat as he resumed the tedious, if not mind-numbing process of waiting.

Early morning sunlight fought to break through the thick darkness of the still lingering night sky.

Ray walked slowly to Ecto-1, he stood beside the iconic hearse and stared at the now famous 'no ghost' logo and remembered how it was a struggle to get their business up and running, but in that moment he wished for the mental strain of staying out of debt compared to the mental strain of having a good friend in the hospital; possibly dying.

Peter kept to himself as he took his seat inside Ecto-1 and waited for Ray to join him.

Guilt. Anger. Isolation.

It was as if Peter had been cast adrift in a sea of negativity.

The door to Ecto-1 slammed shut as Ray took his seat behind the wheel. Peter jumped at the sound and looked over at the grimace plastered on Ray's face. As much as he wanted to give his friend some words of comfort no words came to his mind. What could day? A simple "sorry" would never amount to the trauma that the team had to endure all because Peter let go of Winston's hand.

The drive back to the firehouse was filled with painful silence and unspoken anger. Peter was angry at himself for failing his friend and Ray was angry at Peter for the same reason, though the kindhearted engineer could never bring himself to put that type of emotional pain on anyone.

Backing into the garage of the firehouse Ray could see Janine at her desk eagerly awaiting their return. As soon as the engine of the hearse was off she rushed over to the door and addressed Ray.

"How is he?" Her kind blue eyes, which were normally filled with a fiery passion and strength were now filled with worry and fear. "I already took care of the paperwork so you don't have to deal with it."

"Thanks Janine." Ray climbed out of the car and leaned heavily against the side of the vehicle. "Winston's dad is at the hospital with Egon. All we know for sure is that Winston took a bad blow to the head and he needed... needed surgery."

"Surgery?" Janine's eyes widened with alarm. "What do you need me to do?"

"Just keep doing what you're doing," Ray put his hands on her shoulders and gave her a small hug. "that's all we can ask. And you're already doing such a great job."

Janine forced herself to smile a little as Ray let her go and groggily walked toward the staircase leading to the second floor of the firehouse. "There's a fresh pot of coffee if you need some!"

"See?" Ray called back as he began ascending the stairs. "Great job!"

Peter exited the vehicle and kept his eyes trained on the cold floor of the garage. He couldn't bear to look anyone in the eye at the moment, especially someone as strong as Janine. Following Ray up the stairs Peter had planned on going into the bunk room and falling asleep for the rest of the morning and well into the evening, but it appeared as though Ray had other plans.

"Sit." Ray instructed Peter as he took the aura video-analyzer from its place beside the large equipment and monitors stored on the far side of the rec room. The metal colander littered with wires and circuits was one of the first invaluable pieces of technology that Ray and Egon had created together after Ghostbusters had been founded. "I want to see what's going on inside your head."

"There's nothing going on, Ray." Peter defied the request sternly and tried to keep walking toward the bunk room. Stubborn as ever Peter did his best to keep moving. "I'm tired, I smell like a hospital and I just want this horrible night to end."

"So do I, but I need to know what happened at the hotel." Ray stepped in front of Peter and held out his hand. "Sit and let me-"

"No!" Peter pushed Ray aside with a firm shove that nearly knocked the engineer of his feet. "I'm fine! Let it go!"

"Peter!" Ray grabbed onto Peter's arm and tried to pull him back, the physical aggression was uncharacteristic for both men and the tension resonated through the firehouse quickly. "You're NOT fine! You keep drifting in and out of consciousness like you've been possessed! I just want to help-"

"I don't need help." Peter gave Ray a glare of absolute hatred that came from the deepest, blackest part of his heart. His blue eyes were dull again and his voice was sinister with an angered growl. "Leave me alone."

Ray's grip loosened as the shock of the moment set in. Never before had Ray seen Peter so defensive, if not outright enraged.

As Peter disappeared into the empty bunk room Janine hustled up the stairs having heard the raised voices. "Dr. Stantz? What's going on?"

"I..." Ray put down the analyzer. "I don't know. But something is very wrong with Peter."

Peter went into the bunk room with the intent to sleep through the horrible morning and not have to face his friends for hours. Flopping down onto his bed he laid on his stomach and pressed his face firmly into his fluffy pillow and let out a deep sigh as he shut his eyes. Desperate to sleep it seemed as though sleep itself was going to prove itself an elusive mistress.

"Damn it..." Peter murmured to himself as he tried to force his mind to shut down and block out his own thoughts.

" **Venkman**." Alvis's voice returned to Peter's ears and sent a chill up the seasoned Ghostbuster's spine. " **You must go. Tonight**."

"No." Peter defied in a shaking voice inside his own mind. "I'm not going to do that."

" **You wish for your friend to die**?" Alvis taunted wickedly.

"Winston is strong. He'll pull through." Peter hastily replied with his confidence in Winston.

" **Indeed he is, but how strong are your other friends**? **Or the doctors and nurses who tend to his needs**? **Are they as strong as Winston**?"

A wave of hot anger washed over Peter's body. "What do you mean? What're you going to do?!"

" **A simple thing it is** ," Alvis hissed arrogantly. " **to plant a suggestion. A single word, a single sound; and your friend could be given the wrong medication. Perhaps the equipment that keeps him alive malfunctions from a clumsy hand**."

"NO." Peter angrily snapped back. "Don't do that, don't harm anymore innocent people! I'll... I'll do it."

Ray was exhausted and wanted to rest his tired eyes but he couldn't bear to be in the same room as Peter. Reluctant to approach the stubborn psychologist, unwilling to go back to his apartment above his bookstore and not wanting to set foot inside that hospital again until absolutely necessary Ray resided to laying down on the couch on the first floor in the small office space that Peter used to conduct business.

Janine was trying to be as quiet as possible for Ray's sake, hoping that the phone wouldn't ring and that Peck wouldn't show his face until Winston was discharged from the hospital. Typing away softly at her desk she kept glancing over her shoulder at the dozing figure on the couch.

Ray was laying on his back with one arm draped over his eyes and the other resting over his chest. He was breathing deeply and slowly indicative of the exhaustion that was plaguing his body and mind.

"You better come back to us soon Winston." Janine whispered grimly. "You're the one who keeps us honest and humble. We can't make it without you..."

* * *

Egon was escorted to Winston's room by Dr. Robinson who had gone into depth on Winston's condition with the brilliant physicist. Both Egon and Ray had been pre-med in college, befriending each other in the process as Ray wanted to know why Egon changed majors when he too began having doubts about his career choice. What education Egon had received in medicine and the human anatomy had become an unexpectedly invaluable blessing during the bleak moment.

"I understand." Egon nodded once and looked through the large window of the room where Winston was resting. Edward was sitting beside Winston's bed with his hand resting lightly on Winston's arm. "Although your tests have proven accurate over the past I feel as though in this case you will be surprised. Winston will wake up, I know it."

"I hope you're right Dr. Spengler." Dr. Robinson prepared to walk into the room to check in on Winston. "I have seen patients come back from the brink of death before, I'd very much like to see your friend do the same."

Egon watched stoically as the kind doctor walked into the room and spoke to Edward. "Perhaps I should call Ray." Egon thought out loud as he turned on his heels and walked down the corridor to locate a phone. "It might be best for everyone to see Winston."

* * *

At the firehouse Janine had gone upstairs into the small kitchen to prepare a pot of tea. It had been almost eight hours since Ray and Peter had returned and neither man showed any sign of waking from their much needed slumber. Disliking so much quiet Janine busied herself with paperwork, filing away previous cases and keeping vigil over the two sleeping Ghostbusters.

With a mug of steaming tea in her hands Janine returned to her desk and resumed her paperwork. The phone rang and she answered the call quickly as to not disturb Ray still asleep on the couch behind her.

"Ghostbusters, how can I help you?" She responded naturally and in a lower tone of voice. The voice on the other end of the line was Egon's. "Oh, Egon. So good to hear from you. What's going..."

Janine listened intently as Egon explained the situation to her. With each word Janine's hand tightened its grip on the phone and she felt herself sinking lower in her chair.

"Okay, I'll tell Ray." She all but whispered. "But, Egon! There's something going on here I think you should know about."

Turning in her chair Janine looked at Ray with heavy, sad eyes. "Ray wanted to run some kind of test on Dr. V but he wouldn't do it. Dr. V's been very quiet and Ray isn't sure what's-"

Egon reply was as firm as it was quick.

"Good idea. I'll let Ray know. See you soon." Janine hung up the phone and reluctantly walked over to the couch where Ray was sleeping. Stooping down she put her hand on his shoulder and shook his gently. "Dr. Stantz? Ray? You need to wake up."

Groggily Ray lifted his arm away from his eyes and tucked it under his head. Opening his eyes he studied Janine's blurry face and let out a deep breath. "Janine? Is there something wrong?"

"Egon called and-"

"What?!" Ray was suddenly wide awake. He sat upright on the couch and locked his gaze onto Janine. "When did he call? How's Winston?"

"Egon called about two minutes ago. He said he wants you to go to the hospital and sit with Winston and his father. He's going to come back here to-" She paused momentarily and thought back to the instructions Egon had given her. "he just needs to rest and get away from the hospital for a few hours."

"I know what he means." Ray ran his hand through his messy hair and looked at his watch. "Okay, I'll take Ecto-1 over and trade places with Egon. Make sure he gets something to eat, will ya' Janine? Egon always forgets to take care of himself when something like this happens."

"Yeah, I'll take care of it." Janine looked away from Ray feeling guilty about having to lie to him, but she Egon would never ask her to do such a thing unless it was absolutely necessary. "Be sure to let Winston know I'm thinking of him."

"I will." Before standing up from the couch Ray gave her shoulder a light squeeze. "He'll be alright, you'll see."

"I hope you're right."

Unable to sleep or quiet his mind Peter had spent the past eight hours contemplating the deal he reluctantly made with Alvis and the consequences on his actions: Winston was hurt; possibly dying, Ray had been pushed away out of pure vindictiveness and Egon was too angry to even speak to Peter.

All Peter had to do was hold onto Winston's hand and he couldn't do it. He let a single fear get between himself and his friends.

Having heard the phone ring downstairs Peter knew that it was Egon calling with information on Winston's condition. When the sound of the garage door opening filled the firehouse and the roar of Ecto-1's engine pulling away followed soon after Peter knew that something big was about to happen, and he himself wasn't wanted.

"I'm so sorry guys." Peter whispered pitifully into the nothingness that surrounded him as he laid alone in the bunk room. "I really am."

Ray drove to the hospital in silence. Being alone in the iconic hearse felt eerie, as if he had left his friends behind or like he forgotten something. The drive was longer than usual as traffic had thickened during the afternoon and early evening which gave Ray time to himself to sit and think about everything. As much as he wanted to believe that everything was a tragic accident he couldn't help but feel as though everything was actually Peter's fault.

"Why did Peter let him go?" Ray wondered as he sat at a red light. "It wouldn't have been difficult to pull Winston back up out of the hole or just hold on until me or Egon got there... It doesn't make any sense."

A loud 'honk' of the car's horn behind the hearse startled Ray. The light had turned green but he hadn't moved.

"Sorry, sorry!" Ray waved his hand toward the driver behind him apologetically as he continued the drive to the hospital.

Pulling into the parking lot Ray watched as a large ambulance pulled away from the emergency entrance and a somber looking couple walked inside shortly thereafter.

"I feel your pain." Ray muttered as he parked the hearse. As he climbed out of the car he realized he was still wearing his dirty jumpsuit. "Should've showered before I came here."

Unzipping his jumpsuit Ray slipped the tarnished garment from his arms and legs and tossed it into the back of the hearse before shutting the door. Now sporting his blue jeans and black t-shirt Ray looked less conspicuous but just as disheveled.

"Better than nothing." Ray decided as he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the driver's side mirror and tried to fix his hair again.

As he walked into the lobby of the hospital Ray approached the desk and the kind faced nurse sitting behind it. "Excuse me..."

"Oh, Dr. Stantz." The nurse recognized him right away. "Please come with me, you've been expected for a while now."

"Uh, since when do hospitals take reservations?" Ray asked in a silly manner.

The nurse smiled as she escorted him to Winston's room. "Dr. Spengler asked that you be shown to your friend's room as soon as you arrived. I was happy to accommodate since you so kindly helped get the ghost out of my grandmother's attic last fall."

"Glad we could be of help." Ray blushed a little. "How is Winston doing? Do you know anything about his condition?"

"I'm sorry Dr. Stantz," the nurse lead him to an elevator and pressed the call button. "I don't know anything more about his condition than you do. But Dr. Robinson is one of the best doctors in the city, your friend is in good hands!"

"I hope you're right."

The elevator doors opened and the two stepped inside together.

Egon was standing beside Winston's bed with his keenly observant eyes trained on his friend's face. Edward was encouraged to take a moment away from Winston's bedside to get something to eat and to rest. Of course Egon volunteered to stay with Winston until his return.

Winston was hooked up to a cardiac monitor that beeped rhythmically with his slowly beating heart. A tube was snaked down Winston's throat to keep him breathing. Leads from an EEG were strategically placed along Winston's head to monitor his brain activity and oxygen levels to ensure no further brain damage took place during Winston's slow recovery.

The strong former Marine seemed so weak and helpless laying in the hospital bed with wires and machines monitoring his every vital sign.

"It's widely believed that people can still hear and understand all that is taking place around them while in a comatose state." Egon instinctively spoke softly to keep other people from eavesdropping. "If this is true then I would like to take the opportunity to inform you of how much I value your friendship and have been most appreciative of everything you've contributed to the team over the years."

Taking a seat beside the bed Egon wrapped his fingers around Winston's wrist and compared his pulse rate to the cardiac display on the monitor.

"It may not show but I do consider you one of the closest friends that has ever been my privilege to establish. The same can be said for Ray, Venkman and Janine." Egon wasn't one to get emotional but the moment was becoming too painful to withstand without his voice betraying the hurt he was feeling. "I do not believe that you will submit to your injuries as you've proven yourself much stronger than anyone could have anticipated in the past, but if for whatever reason you do not, or cannot, wake up I want you to know how much I respect you and how much I will miss you if you... if you leave us."

Winston remained just as still and quiet as he had been all that morning and previous night.

There was a light knocking on the door as Ray found his way to the room. "Egon, has there been any change?"

"None." Egon despondently replied. "While there has been no improvement in his condition there hasn't been any deterioration as well. He's stable."

"I guess that's all we can really ask for." Ray admitted as he walked over to the bed. "Hey Winston, it's me. Janine said to say 'hi'."

"Now that you are here I will return to the firehouse and deal with Venkman."

"Deal with him?" Ray sounded genuinely confused by the statement.

"If he is unwell or has been compromised by the ghost then he must be examined. If he will not cooperate for you then I will convince him to cooperate with me."

"Egon," Ray shook his head sadly. "you know that Peter is just as upset as we are. Try to-"

"I'll handle this." Egon reaffirmed as he passed by Ray, briefly putting his hand on the engineer's shoulder as he walked. "Mr. Zeddemore will be joining you shortly. Please ensure that he doesn't worry himself into a collapse."

"Yeah, sure..." Ray hated seeing Egon in such an aggressive state of mind. "No problem."

* * *

Peter sat up on his bed and stared at the hardwood floor with a dull blankness in his eyes. Guilt and anger weighed heavily on his heart and he didn't know how to make it go away.

"If I do this then you have to let Winston live." He whispered knowing that Alvis was still watching him from somewhere unseen.

Throwing his legs over the edge of his bed Peter put his feet on the floor and stood up slowly. As he walked toward the door of the bunk room he heard the garage door open up and Ecto-1 return.

"Damn. I was hoping I'd have more time alone..."

Egon slammed the door of Ecto-1 and approached Janine's desk somewhat hastily. "Where is Venkman?"

"Upstairs." Janine was unsettled by Egon's unusually angry disposition. "He hasn't come down since he returned from the hospital."

"I'm going to go speak with him." Egon looked toward the stairs and adjusted his glasses while doing so. "Please don't be alarmed by anything that may transpire upstairs."

"Do you need me to-"

"No, just stay down here please." Egon requested as he pocketed the keys to Ecto-1 inside his jumpsuit.

"Okay. Do what you need to do."

Egon approached the stairs and began ascending with a stern attitude on his face and steeled determination in evident in his posture. Peter knew that Egon was coming up the stairs with the intent to question him about his experience at the hotel and knew that he couldn't even begin to explain his actions.

"Venkman." Egon stood at the top of the stairs and focused on the doorway of the bunk room. "Please come in here. We need to talk."

Quietly and hesitantly Peter appeared in the door frame. His shoulders were slumped and his arms were crossed over his chest defensively.

"Before you say anything Egon-"

"Stop." Egon held up his hand as if he could force Peter to pause in both sentence and place. "Sit down, you need to be examined."

Peter took one step forward gave Egon a very serious look. "No."

"Why not?"

"It's... complicated."

"Explain it to me."

"I can't."

"Venkman, now is not the time to play games or be stubborn. Whatever happened to you at the hotel has resulted in Winston's life threatening injuries."

Peter felt himself turn red at Egon's words. "Are you blaming me for what happened?"

Egon folded his own arms over his chest mirroring Peter. "Until we have more information; yes."

The accusation turned Peter's stomach. "I thought it was innocent until proven guilty."

"Only the guilty try to hide." Egon defended his remark.

"I'm not hiding!"

"You've isolated yourself from us repeatedly and won't even stand in the same room with me. What is it you're hiding?"

"Nothing!" Peter bitterly defended himself. "Who in the hell do you think you are? Do you really think I would let something like that happen to any one of us on purpose?"

Egon straightened his posture but didn't say a word.

"Son of a... What is with you Spengz? Why don't you trust me?"

"Because you're hiding something. Peter what is going on? What happened at the hotel?"

Before Peter could respond Alvis's voice cut into his mind with a painfully loud screech. Peter put his hands to his ears and fell to his knees as Alvis began relaying a new command. "To the hotel. Now is the time."

"Venkman?" Egon unfolded his arms and approached the downed man curiously. "What is-"

Peter looked up and glared angrily at Egon. But Peter's eyes weren't his normal blue, they were a dull gray and full of hatred. Standing up quickly Peter pushed Egon out of his way and bolted down the stairs and into the garage.

"Venkman?!" Egon shouted after the fleeing psychiatrist and watched from the top of the stairs as Peter pulled open the driver's side door to Ecto-1, only to find the keys missing. "Venkman! What's going on?"

Peter ignored Egon's question and rushed through the door of the firehouse and disappeared from sight.

"Venkman!" Egon sprinted down the stairs but couldn't keep up with obviously disturbed man, losing him at the door. "Come back!"

Janine left her desk and hastily joined Egon at the opened doorway. "Egon! What's going on?"

"I'm not sure but, I do know now that Venkman is in danger. There was something very strange. Something in his eyes."

"What should I do?"

"Call Ray at the hospital." Egon returned to Ecto-1 and started the engine. "Tell him to keep a very close eye on Winston."

"On Winston?" Janine paled at the request. "But why? What could happen to him at the hospital? Egon, is Winston in danger?"

"It's just a hunch. Please, do this for me. I'm going to look for Venkman."

Peter wandered through the city with his body on autopilot as Alvis's influence was too strong to resist. The powerful specter forced Peter to walk from the safety of the firehouse and return to the infamously haunted Sedgwick Hotel several blocks away. Slowly Peter's own mind and sense of self returned as Alvis relinquished his total control over the psychologist's mind. Despite being freed from Alvis's dire influence Peter didn't stop walking.

The thick traffic was loud and obnoxious but it provided Peter with cover as he tried to make his way to the hotel with as few people noticing him as possible. It'd also delay any intervention if Egon or Janine or anyone else wanted to try to stop him.

"Remember our deal." Peter thought to himself, hoping that Alvis could hear him as he made his way to the long standing hotel. "I do this and you leave Winston alone."

Standing in front of the entrance of the hotel Peter looked up and took in the bleak sight of the old hotel and the dark history contained within.

Steeling his nerves Peter stepped inside the hotel and made his way toward the elevator. Very few guests were staying in the hotel, not only as a result of the previous night's activity but in response to the increasingly aggressive ghosts that plagued the guests.

Using a staff entrance to the kitchen Peter located a secondary corridor that was lined with storage closets as well as access to the employee only stairwell. Step by step Peter ascended the stairs, slowly. While he had no intent of backing out of the deal Peter knew he didn't have to rush. Perhaps if he took his time someone could intervene and keep him from making a mistake he'd never be able to atone for.

"Guys... If I've ever needed you to keep me line, now is the time..."

* * *

Janine had followed Egon's instructions and called the hospital. Ray was baffled by the call but listened carefully to what Janine had told him and of the events that had taken place during his absence from the firehouse.

Ray chose however to keep the phone call a secret from Edward as he didn't want to upset the older gentleman. Seeing your son on life support was painful enough, the last thing he needed to hear was about Peter showing questionable motives and behaving oddly. Putting on a brave face Ray returned to Winston's room and kept his attention on Winston's father.

"Water?" Ray asked as he handed a cup of cool water for Edward. Ray had excused himself from the room when a nurse came and whispered in his ear, he hoped by returning with the water it would keep Edward from asking questions.

"Thank you Raymond." Edward took the cup but didn't drink any of it, he just sat it down on the small table next to the bed. "I appreciate everything you and your friends have done for us."

"It's no problem. We know Winston would do the same for us."

"He would." Edward gave his son a nod of respect. "Winston was always the first one to volunteer whenever anyone needed help. He was also the first one to throw a punch whenever a bully threatened a kid or tried to push someone around. Fortunately the Marine Corp helped him to quell his anger and gain discipline over his emotions."

"I can't imagine Winston ever having a temper." Ray admitted. "Then again I didn't know him when we were kids."

Edward smiled a little. "He was a good kid. You two would've been the best of friends."

"I wouldn't doubt it." Ray thought back to his childhood and his positive demeanor quickly faded.

Ray was only twelve years old when his parents were killed in a car accident. His older brother and older sister were never fond of his their little brother and his 'weird' personality, which meant after their parents passed away the family was torn apart. Ray went to live with his Aunt Lois while his older siblings went to boarding schools and left him behind.

Moving in with his Aunt Lois gave Ray a stable home but it also tore him away from all of his childhood friends and made it difficult for him to find anyone to hang out with. It wasn't until college that he found friends he get close to by befriending both Egon and Peter. When Winston joined their group after Ghostbusters had been founded Ray quickly formed a strong friendship with the former Marine.

Winston's open mind and open heart made him the perfect fit for the team as both a professional investigator and as a trustworthy teammate.

Teammate.

Winston completed the team. If they lost him the team would never be complete again.

"Raymond?" Edward could see that Ray had suddenly become lost in thought. "Are you alright son?"

"Yeah. Just... Just thinking."

"You be careful doing that." Edward wisely cautioned. "Too much thinking about what could have been and what could happen can stop a man from experiencing everything that can be and will happen."

"Good advice."

* * *

 

Egon drove Ecto-1 down the streets, having to wait for traffic to clear, as he made his way toward the hotel. It was at the hotel where everything had taken a turn for the worse: Peter's behavior suddenly changed, Winston had become injured and the ghost that had been the origin for their call had seemingly vanished without a trace. It was here that Egon knew he'd find his answers and perhaps Peter as well.

Working on a bust alone was against protocol but Egon's options were limited. Fortunately there was a back-up trap always kept in storage in the rear compartment of Ecto-1. The trap alone would have to suffice as all of the proton packs had been overheated and unable to charge properly for almost twenty four hours.

Parking Ecto-1 just outside the front of the hotel Egon exited the vehicle, retrieved the single trap and slung it over his shoulder.

"Venkman, you had better not be doing anything regrettable."

* * *

 

Peter made his way to the destroyed penthouse on the twelfth floor with slow, heavy footsteps. Bright yellow police tap had been placed like an 'X' over the door and the door had been locked by hotel security.

" **Go inside**." Alvis hissed as he emerged from the floor behind Peter. A small puddle of ectoplasm had pooled where Alvis had been. " **Find the box and open it**."

Peter tore down the yellow tape and tentatively put his hand on the locked doorknob. He tried to open the door but the lock did its job and stuck fast.

" **Do not try to weasel your way out of my bidding**." Alvis cautioned using an illusion to push Peter forward.

A large cockroach began scurrying down the wall beside the door frame. Peter saw it and froze in place. The sound of the atrocious bug scratching along the wall as it walked was enough to make his feel queasy.

" **Go inside**." Alvis pressed as he created the illusion of more cockroaches that swarmed the walls and now the floor at Peter's feet.

Peter began pulling harder on the doorknob while trying to turn but the lock wasn't budging.

The air turned icy cold and Peter felt a pair of eyes watching him. He turned and caught sight of an impossible massive cockroach barreling down the corridor directly toward him. The cockroach was as wide and tall as the corridor itself, it's bulging black eyes were focused on Peter and its antennae were reach for him as its six legs hurtled the giant bug body directly at the cornered psychologist.

"Oh... Damn!" Peter began panicking. With fear induced adrenaline now coursing through his veins Peter had gained quite a bit of strength in his hands and managed to turned the locked knob, breaking the old lock in the process.

Throwing open the door Peter ran inside and slammed the door shut behind him. He pressed back against the door and breathed deeply and quickly as he tried to calm himself. The large hole in the floor was still just as dangerous as it had been the night before, no repairs or barricades had been set up around it.

" **Find the box**." Alvis demanded as he fazed through the door and through Peter's body, sending an icy chill through Peter's core.

On trembling legs Peter forced himself to take a step inside the room, careful not to get too close to the hole, and made his way to the large closet in the rear of the room. Opening the door Peter pressed his hands along the interior walls of the closet and began knocking on the surface in an attempt to find a loose panel.

" **Find it**..." Alvis snarled impatiently. " **Find it. Open it**."

"I'm lookin'! I'm lookin'!" Peter snapped in a frustrated tone. "If this was so easy you'd have handled it yourself years ago!"

There was an oddly dull 'thud' beneath Peter's knuckles as he finally found the false wall hidden within the closet. Pressing down with his hands Peter found a square panel that covered a concealed compartment secretly constructed inside the close decades prior. The panel caved inward under Peter's hand and opened slightly. Pushing the panel in as far as it could go Peter spied a small metal box covered in a layer of dust sitting on a small shelf behind the panel.

"Found it..."

" **Open it**." Alvis urged with a twisted glee in his voice. " **Open it now**."

"Chill. I'll get it open when I get it open." Peter snipped as he pulled the metal box from the closet and held it in his hands. "Have the key?"

Alvis shot Peter an angry glare. " **The key was buried with my body. Force the lock**."

"Sure... Why not? I've already broken one lock today, let's go for two."

* * *

 

As Egon entered the hotel he ducked the sight of the manager, who was still righteously upset over the damage to the twelfth and eleventh floors, and made his way to the elevators. Keeping quiet and trying to avoid making any eye contact with the sparse hotel staff and guests he stepped into the empty elevator car and began his ascent to the twelfth floor where the previous night's carnage had taken place.

The elevator shuddered as the doors closed and began rising at a steady pace toward the top floors of the hotel.

Alone and with little information on the situation unfolding above Egon was mentally preparing himself for anything that could await him.

* * *

Resourcefully Peter took a jagged board from the edge of the hole in the floor and used it to pry open the lid of the metal box. A loud 'pop' followed by the 'clang' of metal against the wooden floor filled the quiet air as a waft of stagnant air escaped from the opened box. The contents within the box were concealed beneath a ruby red silk handkerchief.

"What is this?" Peter asked as he let his hand hover over the box cautiously. "What could possibly be in this little box that's worth everything that's already happened?"

" **Use it**." Alvis stated firmly as he stared greedily at the box. " **Use it now**."

Peter pulled the handkerchief away and revealed a silver lighter. The lighter was engraved with Alvis's initials and had an owl on the side.

"Use it?" Peter stepped away from the box. "I said I'd sneak into the hotel and help you find your box but I'm never going to play arsonist!"

" **You'd risk your friend's life**?"

"No. But I will do what Winston would do in this situation." Peter folded his arms over his chest and kicked the box over. The lighter slid out of the box and skidded over the floor near the edge of the gaping hole. "Winston would never sacrifice innocent lives to protect himself. If he knew what I did just to keep you from him he'd never forgive me!"

* * *

Egon made his way to the penthouse of the twelfth floor. From the end of the corridor he could see the bright yellow police tape on the floor and a puddle of ectoplasm nearby. The doorknob was loosened thanks to Peter' frantic entrance but it was still attached to the door.

"Curious." Egon noted as he knelt beside the ectoplasm and ran his finger through the puddle. "Fresh. This collected on the floor recently."

Muffled voices from the closed door of the penthouse caught his ear. Returning to his feet Egon stood a few inches from the door and listened to the conversation taking place.

"Venkman?" Egon instantly recognized Peter's voice. The sound of the metal box being kicked made Egon flinch. "Who are you speaking to?"

* * *

" **You've made your decision**?" Alvis had a twisted grin over his ethereal face. With the snap of his fingers Peter fell to his knees in pain and his blue eyes dulled as Alvis regained control over his mind. " **How unfortunate**."

"Venkman!" Egon kicked down the door of the room and watched as Peter, lost in a trance, stood upright and walked over to the lighter. "Venkman! What's going on? Talk to me!"

Peter picked up the lighter and with a few flicks of his thumb created a brilliant orange flame that cast an eerie shadow under his eyes.

"Venkman?" Egon slipped the trap from his shoulder and set in on the floor. Taking two steps forward Egon studied Peter's blank eyes and knew that the ghost was having an influence over Peter's actions. "You're not Venkman. Alvis." Egon realized what was going on at long last. "Are you here still Alvis?"

The vengeful ghost was impressed by Egon's fortitude and revealed himself hovering over the hole in the floor. " **Your friend cannot disobey my words**."

"I imagine he can." Egon tested. "Venkman! Peter?" Egon shouted louder to his dazed friend. "Don't do it! Put the lighter away!"

Peter's eyes brightened as his natural blue irises seemed to emerge from behind the dull gray trance. "Egon?"

"Yes. It's me. Don't let Alvis control you. Fight it!"

"I..." The sickly image of a cockroach crawling on the wall behind Egon sent a chill up Peter's spine. "I don't want to do it... Help me."

"I will, I promise."

Alvis snapped his fingers again and the illusion of the swarming cockroaches filled Peter's vision. He froze in place save for his body trembling in fear. The lighter lowered as his arm dropped but the flame remained lit as it hung at his side.

"Peter?" Egon looked back over his shoulder but couldn't see the illusion that Peter was staring at. "I don't know what Alvis has planted in your mind, but there is NOTHING there. Nothing! It's all a trick!"

"I..." Peter shut his eyes and shook his head. "I can still see it..."

"Peter, what has Alvis done? Why did he lead you back here?"

"He..." Peter flinched as he heard the swarming cockroaches squirming closer to him. "He wants the hotel to burn! If I don't-" Cockroaches ran over his boots and made him jump back in fear. "If I don't do this he'll go after Winston!"

"Winston?!" Egon's dark eyes intensified at the threat toward their downed friend. "That's why you've been so secretive, you were trying to protect Winston. But you can't burn the hotel-"

"I won't!" Peter began shaking violently and backed himself against the wall as the illusion of the cockroaches became more abundant, violent and chaotic. "I won't do it!"

Alvis was angry at Peter's disobedience. " **If you do not follow my words then your friend shall perish**."

"No, he won't." Egon defied. "I already asked Ray to keep an eye on Winston! His father is there too! He's safe, I promise."

Alvis gave Egon a sinister stare. " **This 'Winston' is not the friend I to which I was referring**." He snapped his fingers again and a new illusion manifested in the room.

Egon could feel something now standing behind him, something tall and broad; something hauntingly familiar. Turning his focus over his shoulder a second time he spied the grotesque form of his childhood nightmare towering over him: the Boogieman.

"No!" Egon turned around quickly and took a step back from the menacing form of the ghoul. "Not possible."

The alabaster white face, the elongated pointy nose, beady yellow eyes, wild green hair, lanky arms, claw like hands, animalistic legs and hooves and the tattered remains of a jacket were all too real for the physicist. The nightmare seemed to real to be ignored.

"We trapped you." Egon tried to use logic and reason to push away the illusion. "You're NOT real. You're not-"

The illusion of the Boogieman took a single swipe toward Egon which made him step back and accidentally step down into the hole.

"NO!" Egon cried out as he managed to catch himself with his hands as he slipped over the edge of the broken floorboards and fell into the hole.

The sound of Egon's panic stricken cry was enough to gain Peter's attention. He opened his eyes and saw Egon dangling into the hole and losing his grip quickly.

"Egon!" Peter pushed through the illusion and rushed over to the hole, dropping the still burning lighter in the process. He grabbed onto Egon's arm and began pulling him back up. "I got ya'!"

"Peter!" Egon took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "The Boogieman... He isn't really here, is he?"

"No! He's not!" Peter struggled to pull his friend up and out of the hole but didn't let go. Looking down into the hole Peter froze, his hand growing cold with fear. Waiting down inside the hole was the massive cockroach that had chased Peter into the room. Like Egon had done he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "The Boogieman isn't here and neither are the cockroaches!"

"Cockroaches?" Egon repeated confused. "No Peter. There are no cockroaches in the room."

Alvis manifested his full body into a single form and walked with audible steps toward the burning lighter laying on the floor.

Peter opened his eyes and stared fearfully at the ghost. "No... Don't."

Egon turned and looked at Alvis just as the ghost placed his translucent foot on the lighter.

" **A deal is a deal**." Alvis arrogantly stated. " **I will leave Winston alone. But as for your insolence you will watch your friend burn**!"

Alvis kicked the lighter down into the hole and the flame swiftly ignited the wooden debris on the eleventh floor below.

As the fire consumed the fallen floorboards and broken furniture in the penthouse on the eleventh floor Egon held onto the edge of the hole for dear life while Peter held desperately onto Egon's arm. Both men were in peril at the hands of the ghost and neither were in a position to confront the ghost and capture it. emergency fire alarms began blaring throughout the hotel and all of those who had been inside the building out into the streets for their lives, leaving Egon and Peter alone with the angry ghost.

"I gotcha' partner!" Peter all but screamed as he forced himself to stay inside the burning room. "Just hold on!"

"Peter!" Egon called out of the crackling of the fire that raged just a few feet below him. "You have to run! Catch Alvis before he has a chance to cause any more harm or hurt anyone else!"

"No way Spengz!" Peter refused to let Egon fall, refused to give up and abandon his friend. "I know you're mad at me right now, hell, I'm mad at myself," Peter's hand tightened around Egon's arm. "but I'm not going anywhere!"

Alvis watched with sick delight as Peter and Egon struggled to escape the blaze. The temperature of the room began to rise and smoke wafted toward the ceiling. " **Let's make this more interesting**." Alvis snapped his fingers and brought about a new illusion.

Cockroaches began to swarm over Peter's hand, up his shoulder and toward his face. Peter began to whimper in fear as he watch the cockroaches crawl closer and closer to his face. The massive cockroach in the hole below was now engulfed in flame and screeching out in a painfully loud wail.

"Peter!" Egon could see the fear in Peter's face. He was pale, sweaty and trembling violently. "There is nothing there! No cockroaches, it's all an illusion."

"And illusion... Illusion..." Peter repeated to himself as he struggled to keep his grip on Egon's arm. "Not real. Not real."

"That's right! It's all an illusion!"

"Come on!" Peter encouraged as he shut his eyes and began pulling Egon upward. "Climb!"

Egon let Peter pull him up and out of the hole by one arm while he used his other hand to maintain a firm grip. Awkwardly Peter managed to lift Egon out of the hole and back onto the broken floorboards of the penthouse.

"Thanks." Egon panted as he kneeled down on the floor trying to steady his nerves.

"Any time." Peter was sitting back on his hands and staring up at the ceiling. "Let's get Alvis!"

"The trap!" Egon pointed to the lone trap he had brought with him. As Egon reached for the trap Alvis snapped his fingers again and revived the illusion of the Boogieman. "You're. Not. REAL." Egon stated firmly while forcing himself to reach his hand through the illusion's hoof like feet and retrieve the trap.

Alvis was enraged by Egon's strong, resilient mind and lost his patience. " **You shall be the first to burn**!" Using a wave psychokinetic energy Alvis lifted a burning board from the hole and held it high into the air. As Egon stood up with the trap in his hands Alvis launched the flaming projectile directly at the physicist.

"EGON!" Peter saw the incoming board and pushed Egon down and out of the way. The trap fell from Egon's hands and bounced down into the hole with a heavy 'thud'.

Unable to move quickly enough to escape the incoming board himself Peter was struck in the chest and knocked backward and down into the burning hold in the floor.

"PETER?!" Egon watched in abject horror as his friend fell and disappeared into the fire. Falling to his knees Egon crawled over to the edge of the hole and peered down at his motionless friend laying in a heap on the pile of mangled, smoldering debris. Peter's head was laying dangerously close to the fallen metal trap. "No..."

" **Foolish man**." Alvis sneered as he hovered over the hole. " **If he had obeyed then he would've been spared such a fate. I gave him my word**."

Egon glared helplessly at the ghost. "You're a liar and a murderer, any word you give is utterly worthless."

Alvis pointed his finger at Egon as his eyes flashed red. " **Perhaps you'd wish to join him**?"

Surrounded by smoke and flame Peter was roused by the tremendous heat and choking smoke. Looking up with one eye through the dense smoke he could barely see the ghost hovered directly above him, or see Egon kneeling by the hole defenselessly.

"Egon..." Peter tried to get up but he couldn't move. The burning board was still laying across his chest, fortunately the fire had all but burned itself out leaving only smoldering timber. "I have... to..."

As he moved his head Peter felt the sharp corner of the trap graze against his face.

Trailing the black cable connected to the rear of the trap Peter could see that the trigger was resting just a few inches from his boot. Lifting his foot he placed his heel above the trap and gave a smug glance up at Alvis. "Hey Alvis!"

The ghost looked down at Peter and snarled angrily. " **You live**!?"

"Shut up!" Peter smashed his boot down on the trigger and turned his face as the trap's door opened and began absorbing Alvis in bright white ionized light.

" **NO**." Alvis was pulled easily down into the trap, disappearing through the hole in the floor and imprisoned in the metal trap.

"Peter!" Egon looked down at his friend and called out. "You're alive!"

The twelfth floor began to buckle under Egon's weight as the fire ate through the already weakened level.

"Egon... You need to-"

"No, I'm not leaving!" Egon studied the interior wreckage of the hole and found a way, a dangerous and unreliable way, to climb down to where Peter was laying. "Just hang on!"

"I'm not-" Peter coughed once before finishing his comment. "I'm not going anywhere."

Egon made his way down the makeshift ladder, the damaged and weakened wooden boards snapping almost as soon as Egon applied his weight to the structure. Smoke filled the air choked his breaths and blinded his sight. The roar of the fire was almost deafening as Egon's boots planted on the eleventh floor.

"Peter!" Rushing over to his fallen friend Egon threw aside the fallen boards that had landed on top of Peter's body and put his hand on Peter's chest. There was no movement. "No... Not him too."

Putting his hands under Peter's arms Egon began dragging him from the center of the hole and away from the flames toward the locked door. Laying Peter down one last time Egon planted a firm kick on the door and forced the lock to break and opened the door with a loud slam as it burst open into the hallway. The fire had damaged the door frame and weakened the hinges enough to allow Egon to break down the door.

"Come on..." Egon resumed dragging Peter out of the burning room and into the corridor of the hotel. He began coughing deeply as he struggled to breathe through the smoke and overcome the intense heat of the fire. "Almost there..."

The sound of heavy boots stomped down the corridor from the opposite end as responding firefighters began checking the floors for any un-evacuated hotel guests. "There. Two possible victims." One of the firefighters reported in his radio professionally and calmly.

"We're going to be okay Peter." Egon told his friend as he stopped dragging Peter and laid him down. It was then Egon could see how pale Peter was, and how still his entire body had become. "Peter?" Pressing his ear to Peter's chest Egon felt his own heart skip a beat.

Two firefighters approached the two Ghostbusters. One knelt down beside Peter as Egon scooped his friend up into his arms and held him tightly against his chest.

"Sir! We're going to get you both out of here!"

Egon only nodded with tears welling up in his eyes. "It might be too late for him..."

It was all a blur for Egon as the firefighters escorted him out of the burning hotel through the back stairwell. While on firefighter lead Egon to safety the second had Peter's limp body draped over his shoulders. The thick smoke on the upper floors thinned as the escaping group descended but it didn't make it any either for the weary physicist to breathe. Huffing through his smoke filled lungs Egon let his mind wander as he thought back to how he had been unfairly blaming Peter for what had happened to Winston the night before.

"I'm sorry Venkman... Peter." Egon muttered in a low, bitter tone to himself. "I should've trusted you."

As Egon was lead to safety outside of the hotel the firefighters guided him over to an ambulance that was parked very near Ecto-1. A paramedic sat Egon down on the bumper of the parked ambulance while the firefighter carrying Peter laid the psychologist down on a gurney.

Egon looked past the male paramedic who was monitoring his pulse and using a stethoscope to check his breathing toward Peter. It didn't seem right, or fair to have Peter die at the hands of a ghost over a petty grievance that was decades old and completely irrelevant on that day.

A second paramedic began checking Peter over. She was also checking Peter's pulse and listening to his breathing with her own stethoscope. "We need to start him on 02," she announced in a level voice as she slipped an oxygen mask over Peter's face. "two liters to start with."

"Start him..." Egon was confused by her words. "But he's-"

"Alive." The male paramedic confirmed as he unzipped the top of Egon's jumpsuit and pulled his right arm free of the sleeve. "Your friend is alive."

Egon's eyes widened with a mixture of shock and relief. "But I... I didn't hear a heartbeat."

"Tinnitus." The paramedic responded confidently. He slipped an oxygen mask over Egon's face to assist his breathing until the smoke cleared from his lungs. "With all of the commotion of the fire and crumbling beams all around you your auditory senses are going to overwhelmed. But I can assure you he is alive."

The female paramedic continued her treatment over Peter while the male paramedic tended to Egon.

Egon's head bowed in utmost relief as the information seemed too good to be true.

Peter survived.

It was quiet in the hospital. Ray and Edward kept vigil at Winston's bedside, neither man wanting to leave the room for even a moment.

Ray was beginning to drift off as he sat in the chair beside Winston's bed when Edward stood up and leaned over the bed. It looked like Winston's right hand had moved slightly, his fingers barely flexing and relaxing. There was a change on the monitors attached to the comatose man which drew the attention of Dr. Robinson as well.

"Doc?" Ray rose from his chair and stood beside the bed. He was staring at Winston's face with mounting concern but refused to show how frightened he was in that moment of change. "Is there a problem?"

Dr. Robinson was checking Winston's eyes with a small penlight and taking a close look at the EEG display. "I need you two to step out of the room for a moment." His voice was calm and his posture confident. "I'll update you in a moment."

Edward was hesitant to leave his son's side but Ray patted his shoulder reassuringly. "It'll just be for a moment, come on. Winston will be okay."

Begrudgingly Edward allowed Ray to walk him out of the room just as two nurses joined Dr. Robinson inside the room. The door was shut but the curtains over the window were still opened.

Ray discreetly watched through the window as Dr. Robinson and the two nurses carefully extubated Winston, retracting the breathing tube from down his throat while keeping a close eye on his oxygen levels. The cardiac monitor remained stable throughout the ordeal.

Letting out a small laugh of relief Ray ran his hands over his tired face. "That's a good sign."

Edward saw Ray's lightened disposition and immediately began thanking the Heavens for Winston's recovery. Gratitude was only the beginning.

"Excuse me? Dr. Stantz?" The nurse who had shown him to Winston's room had returned. She had a look of sympathy on her face. "Dr. Spengler and Dr. Venkman have just arrived."

"That's...um..." Ray couldn't understand why the kind nurse looked so upset. "That's normal, isn't it?"

"You should come with me." She urged professionally. "It's a little complicated."

Egon was resting in a recovery room with his oxygen mask replaced with a nasal canula. His head hurt from the rush of adrenaline, his chest hurt from all the smoke and he was exhausted on a physical and emotional level after enduring the catastrophic events at the hotel. The privacy of the room was very much a blessing as Egon needed a moment alone to think about everything that had happened and how close he had been to death, and how Peter had been even closer.

"Egon?" Ray was shown to the room by the nurse. "I was told what happened at the hotel, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Egon confirmed despite his outward appearance. Smoke and ash stained his face, neck and hands. His jumpsuit was tarnished with small burns and dirty soot. "Smoke inhalation. They want to keep an eye on me for a few hours. How's... How's Peter?"

"I don't know." Ray admitted as he put a reassuring hand on Egon's arm. "They haven't told me anything about his condition."

"He... He took a fall and was submerged in the smoke. I know he had burns on chest but I didn't examine the burns close enough to determine severity."

"How did the fire start?"

"The ghost. It had been using fear to manipulate Peter, and tried to get him to burn down the hotel out of revenge."

"Oh man," Ray's face paled. "Peter... He didn't actually start the fire did he?"

"No. The ghost of Alvis had him locate a very old lighter hidden in the penthouse but Peter restrained himself and pushed through his fear. Alvis couldn't get Peter to light the fire so in the end Alvis had to do his own dirty work."

"That ghost should've known better than to try and mess with Peter's mind." Ray joked lightly. Egon wasn't amused, not that Ray expected him to laugh or even smirk, he just wanted to lighten the mood. "Well, before I was told about you and Peter Dr. Robinson took Winston off the ventilator. He's breathing on his own and may even wake up soon!"

"That's good." Egon's shoulders slouched as the tension lessened. "Very good."

Egon's tending physician walked into the room with his stethoscope at the ready. After listening to Egon's chest he determined that the physicist was out of danger and no longer required the oxygen treatment. "Dr. Spengler you're going to make a full recovery." He removed the canula and checked Egon's pupils with his penlight.

"What about Peter? How is he?" Egon asked without flinching as he cooperated with the examination.

"Unconscious. Your friend suffered from first and second degree burns across his chest and his right shoulder. In time the burns will heal without complication."

Ray asked the next logical question. "Can we see him?"

"Soon." The doctor confirmed. "My colleague, Dr. Robinson has informed me that another member of your team is currently under his care. He has arranged to have your two friends located in the same room."

"Thank you."

Edward had been allowed back into the room and was holding onto Winston's hand in a strong but gentle grip. The injured man had made a drastic improvement in his recovery in a very short amount of time; no longer requiring the ventilator as he was able to breathe normally on his own once again. The slightest of movements in Winston's hand in response to his father's voice was all the more reassuring.

Peter had been wheeled into the room and gently placed on the unoccupied bed beside Winston's. His chest was heavily bandaged and created an unnatural mass that was evident from beneath the fabric of the hospital gown. An IV of antibiotics to stave off infection and an IV of saline to rehydrate the Ghostbuster ran into his left arm. He was still on oxygen, but like Egon he had the oxygen mask replaced with a nasal canula.

Dr. Robinson set up the proper monitors for Peter before returning his attention to Winston.

"His hand is moving." Edward stated happily. "Is he waking up?"

"It's entirely possible that he had woken from the coma but is still unconscious." Dr. Robinson explained as he once against checked Winston's eyelids. "His pupils are normal in size and react to the light, all very good signs."

"What about him?" Edward nodded in Peter's general direction. "What happened to Dr. Venkman?"

"There was a fire at the hotel."

"The same one that Winston..." Edward's grip tightened on Winston's hand. "Doc, do you believe in curses?"

Dr. Robinson gave Edward an amiable smile. "In this line of business I'm ready to believe anything!"

Ray and Egon walked into the room quietly. Ray gave Peter an apprehensive glance but didn't shy away from his unconscious friend. "Two down..."

"And two to go." Egon tagged on. "Has anyone called Janine?"

"No, not yet. I was-"

Edward's voice cut in unexpectedly. "Winston? Son? Can you hear me?"

Egon and Ray exchanged hopeful glances as they approached the bed. Winston's hand was slowly tightening around his father's hand, his head was lolling lightly back and forth over his pillow. Ray watched as Winston's dark brown eyes slowly opened and stared blankly at the ceiling above.

Egon put his hand on Ray's arm. "I'll go get Dr. Robinson."

"Son?" Edward put his ran his other hand over Winston's short, dark hair. "Are you with us?"

Winston's distant gaze drew downward from the ceiling and focused on his father's face. A small smile creased his lips as he swallowed once. "Hi, Pops." His voice was hoarse and strained but still there.

"Hi yourself." Edward replied jovially. "Good to see you awake."

Dr. Robinson marched into the room with Egon following. "Mr. Zeddemore, welcome back!"

"How long-" Winston winced at the pain in his throat. Fortunately everyone knew the question he was trying to ask.

"You were out for almost two days. Do you remember what happened?"

"Not really..." His voice was still pitiful though he himself seemed to be regaining his strength.

"You took a nasty fall and hit your head, you also broke your leg; both your tibia and your fibula." Dr. Robinson went into detail without speaking too fast. "You suffered a small fracture to your occipital bone in the back of your skull which put you in a coma. There was also some swelling of your brain tissue but we managed to relieve to pressure with some clever surgery."

"Surgery?" Winston question with a perplexed stare. "Am I-"

"You're going to be fine." Dr. Robinson confirmed honestly and cheerfully. "You're going to have a nasty headache for a few days, but that's normal. You'll also need a pair of crutches for the next six weeks but we'll worry about that a little later on. All in all I'd day you're well on your way to a full recovery."

Winston closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. "Always good to hear."

Ray finally spoke up. "It's just good to hear you talking again."

"Hey Ray." He spotted Egon standing just behind Dr. Robinson. "Egon, you look like hell. What happened?"

"It's a long story." Egon admitted. "I'll tell you later. Just know that we may not be asked to return to the Sedgwick to deal with anymore ghosts."

"Where's Peter?" Winston looked around but didn't see the mouth psychologist anywhere.

As Ray and Egon turned to look at the bed where Peter was laying a whispering voice responded. "Present."

"Peter!" Ray walked over to the bed as Dr. Robinson did the same. "How long have you been awake?"

"Long enough to know Winston's awake." Peter lightly turned his head to look over at his friend. "Hi partner."

"Hi Peter."

Ray gave Egon a sly glance and motioned for the door. Egon took the hint and decided to excuse himself from the room so Peter and Winston could talk in private. Edward stayed behind however, he didn't want to leave his son behind after he had just gotten him back. No one faulted him for the decision.

Dr. Robinson, satisfied that his two star patients were stable, joined the two retreating Ghostbusters out in the hallway. "You two need to rest." He decided with a sincere affirmation. "I'll be back in an hour or so."

While Ray and Egon stood against the wall side by side the two men took the brief respite to appreciate how much they could've lost, but didn't.

"Think Peter will tell Winston the truth?" Ray asked feeling a little disgusted with himself for asking at all.

"I do." Egon's answer was definitive and swift. "Based solely on Peter's actions and reactions to the situation at hand I'm confident that Peter will be upfront with Winston and express his most sincere of apologies for what had transpired."

"You don't still blame Peter, do you?"

"No." Egon's eyes became heavy with guilt. "I was wrong to ever suspect Peter of intentionally endangering any of us out of pure selfish gain or even out his instinct self preservation. I was angry and I wanted someone to act as an outlet for said anger."

"It's okay Egon." Ray reassured his friend. "I was also mad at Peter and, well, a part of me blamed him too. I guess it's just human nature to want an answer, an explanation for our problems; even if it breaks down to simple finger pointing and shouting."

An entire week had passed before Winston was finally discharged from the hospital. Peter was allowed to go home after only two days, provided that someone was with him at all times to assist him. Having Egon, Ray and Janine at his side at the firehouse made the condition easy to comply with; much to Janine's chagrin.

As Ecto-1 backed into the garage of the firehouse Egon and Peter greeted the car and its three occupants.

"Welcome home!" Peter all but shouted as he threw a small handful of white confetti into the air. "We kept your room just the way you left it!"

"Thanks Peter." Winston climbed out of the front passenger seat while his father climbed out of the back. Winston leaned against the car as his Edward handed him his crutches. "It's good to be home."

"I still think 'home' should be with me and your step-mom in Philly."

"Sorry Pops," Winston gave his father a sly grin. "that's too far to drive if we get a call right here in the city."

Ray exited the driver's side of the car with Winston's bag over his shoulder and looked at the bits of confetti on the floor. "I'm not cleaning that up."

"Don't worry about it, Janine will get it." Peter proclaimed loudly. "Right Janine?"

"Dr. V I'm glad you're okay and all that," she shouted from her desk. "but if you keep bugging me I'm going to put you right back in the hospital!"

"Love you too, Janine!" Peter retorted without missing a beat.

Egon cleared his throat abruptly, trying to stop the fight before it spiraled out of control and escalated into a full blown 'prank war'. "Peter you need your dressing changed."

"Yeah, yeah." He subconsciously began scratching at the bandages concealed under his black t-shirt. His chest was sore but healing just fine. "Let's get this over with."

Ray helped Winston to walk up the stairs and into the bunk room while Egon took Peter into the small private lab located next to Peter's office. Edward followed his son and Ray up the stairs, taking in the unusual work environment that Winston had affectionately referred to as home.

"You sure you don't want to go back to Philly?" Edward pressed as he watched Winston made his way slowly into the rec room. "It won't be a problem, we can make room."

"I'm sure Pops." Sitting down at the small table in the corner of the little kitchen Winston set his crutches down on the floor beside him and pointed at Ray. "I trust these guys with my life!"

Ray smiled broadly. "Right back at ya' pal!"

**-The End**


End file.
